On January 23, South Korea repatriated 73 people suspected of being involved in online scams operating in Cambodia to serve the investigation into allegations of appropriating about 33 million USD from more than 800 South Korean citizens. This is the largest group of suspects brought back to the country in such a campaign.
The plane carrying the suspects landed at Incheon International Airport. Images recorded by Korean television shows these people wearing masks, simple clothes and being taken by police from the plane to the bus.
Speaking at a press conference at the airport, a South Korean police official emphasized that committing crimes abroad does not mean the possibility of evading legal responsibility. Authorities affirmed that they will pursue to the end acts that harm South Korean citizens and force those involved to take responsibility.
A South Korean Foreign Ministry official said that Seoul will continue to coordinate with Cambodia until transnational fraud crimes are eliminated. The repatriation of the suspected group took place after a joint investigation between the two countries.
Spokesman for the South Korean Presidential Palace Kang Yu-jung said that investigators discovered 7 fraud centers. Here, the suspects were accused of defrauding 869 South Koreans, appropriating a total of 49 billion won, equivalent to 33 million USD, through online forms.
Among the suspects is a couple accused of appropriating about 12 billion won (nearly 8.2 million USD) from 104 victims. These two people are said to have used deepfake technology to hide their identities in love scams, and have undergone cosmetic surgery to avoid being traced.
Another suspect is accused of participating in appropriating 19.4 billion won (more than 13.2 million USD) from retirees and new workers by impersonating a professional investor.
Previously, in October 2025, South Korea also repatriated 64 citizens suspected of being involved in fraud cases. This move comes after a South Korean student was tortured to death in Cambodia in August 2025 in a case believed to be related to recruitment fraud.
